Abstracts

Topographical reorganization of brain functional networks after early period of experimental status epilepticus predicts development of epilepsy

Abstract number : 966
Submission category : 5. Neuro Imaging / 5B. Functional Imaging
Year : 2020
Submission ID : 2423299
Source : www.aesnet.org
Presentation date : 12/7/2020 1:26:24 PM
Published date : Nov 21, 2020, 02:24 AM

Authors :
Lin Li, University of North Texas; Lingna He - Zhejiang University of Technology; Anatol Bragin - University of California, Los Angeles; Jerome Engel, Jr. - David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles;


Rationale:
The current study aims to investigate functional brain network representations during the early period of epileptogenesis.
Method:
18 rats with the intrahippocampal kainate model of mTLE were used for this experiment. fMRI measurements were made one week after status, followed by 2-4 month electrophysiological and video monitoring. Animals were identified as having (1) developed epilepsy (E+); or (2) not developed epilepsy (E-). 9 additional animals served as controls.  Graph theory analysis was performed to define the functional brain networks in all animals.
Results:
Our data indicated that E+ animals showed an overall increase in functional connectivity strength compared to E- and control animals.  Global network features and small-worldness of E- rats were similar to controls, while E+ rats demonstrated an increased small-worldness, including increased reorganization degree, clustering coefficient, and global efficiency, with reduced shortest pathlength. For the local network features, the E- rats showed increased hubs in sensorimotor cortex, and decreased hubness in hippocampus. The E+ rats showed a complete loss of hippocampal hubs, and the appearance of new hubs in prefrontal cortex. We also observed that lesion severity was not related to epileptogenesis.
Conclusion:
Our data provide a view of the reorganization of topographical functional brain networks in the early period of epileptogenesis. The differences from E- animals offer a potential means for application of non-invasive neuroimaging tools for early prediction of epilepsy.
Funding:
:This research was funded by NIH NINDS grants NS065877, NS33310.
Neuro Imaging